Rockies fans had some good questions for Patrick Saunders in this week’s edition of the mailbag. One big theme was Ian Desmond and his underperformance for the Rockies. He’s had a hard time finding his way this season. Expectations were high, but while we were hoping for some good offense and veteran leadership, we haven’t yet experienced the full Desmond potential. Fans are having a hard time seeing him remain in the game, as there are other options that the Rockies could consider. Saunders argues that Bud Black still has faith in his abilities and doesn’t seem to mind the fact that the general public would like to see some changes. We still might ponder what things might be like with Mark Reynolds back at first, but things are what they are, so here’s hoping Desmond can do more.
This raises the question of what might happen with the first base situation. A fan asked if Matt Holliday might make a return to Denver. Or maybe Jose Abreu. Saunders kind of shuts down the idea of Holliday coming back, but indicates that he would like to see Abreu. We can’t forget about Jon Gray, and Saunders makes it pretty cut and dry in that Gray has to figure himself out. There are some really good questions as we get into the meat of the season, so be sure to check it out here.
Draftee Rolison, Rockies address ‘stupid’ tweet | Rockies.com
The Rockies drafted Ryan Rolison as their 22nd overall draft pick. Since this, it has been discovered that Rolison posted an ill-advised tweet in 2012 after the re-election of President Barack Obama. Our world has become more and more about social media, and it’s nearly impossible not to have some kind of presence. While this tweet was beyond unfortunate, Rolison claims that he was young (14) and had no idea what he was talking about. Jeff Bridich addressed this on a conference call with reporters, claiming that this was an act that does not indicate any kind of malicious patterns. The Rockies want to give him a chance, hoping that they can help him mature and grow.
Colorado Rockies: Is the 2018 NL West Historically Logjammed? | Rox Pile
The NL West has been a wild division this year. The Diamondbacks started off hot, then fell apart. The Rockies took the lead, but have since fallen a little bit. The division is currently very tight, with no one team running away with it. Nick Bunney at Rox Pile took a look at the past to see if this was a rare circumstance or if it’s happened often. And when we take a look at the numbers, we can easily see that this is not a standard place for teams to be at this point in the season. It’s been an odd year, and it’s really tough to say what might happen. I guess the best we can do is hope that the Rockies can remain a close contender. These neck-and-neck situations are super tense, but it’ll make for an interesting year as a Rockies fan.
Rockies outfield prospect named PCL Player of the Month | Mile HIgh Sports
MIke Tauchman was an absolute dynamo in the month of May. He had 44 hits, 31 runs, and 81 bases, it’s no surprise this prospect took the title of PCL Player of the Month. He was wonderful in Albuquerque, and I’m certainly excited to see what he can do for the Rockies.
AROUND BASEBALL
The remarkable rise of Daniel Descalso | AZ Snakepit
Former Rockies player Daniel Descalso has been an incredibly versatile player for the Diamondbacks in the 2018 season. His hitting has become phenomenal, and I would say that Arizona is pretty lucky to have him.